Room on the School Soccer Playoff bubble shrunk to a premium on Saturday as well-positioned CFP hopefuls like No. 6 Oregon and No. 8 Oklahoma dealt with enterprise in tense video games that threatened to disrupt the nationwide hierarchy. The day’s outcomes left groups like No. 12 Miami and No. 14 Vanderbilt gasping for all times, regardless of convincing highway wins over ranked opponents.
The Geese withstood a late push from rival Washington to win 26-14 and shore up their spot within the 12-team playoff by ending the common season 11-1 (8-1 Massive Ten). The Huskies (8-4, 5-4) drew inside 19-14 on a 13-yard landing connection between Demond Williams Jr. and Denzel Boston with 8:54 remaining.
But it surely took Oregon simply three performs to strike again with a definitive blow within the type of a 64-yard catch-and-run from Dante Moore to Malik Benson. On the identical time, the Sooners had been busy outlasting LSU 17-13 in an unpleasant sport that required OU’s offense to get up late.
Trailing 10-3 late within the third quarter, Deion Burks housed an beneath route from John Mateer to tie it. After a go-ahead LSU subject objective within the fourth quarter, the Sooners surged forward for good with a 58-yard connection between Mateer and a large open Isaiah Sategna.
These outcomes took some wind from the sails of the Hurricanes and Commodores, each of which wanted huge wins and a few assist with a view to really feel higher about their probabilities of at-large inclusion.
Right here is the total rundown of the day’s winners and losers.
Ohio State earned its first victory over arch rival Michigan since earlier than the COVID-19 pandemic, because the No. 1 Buckeyes stifled the No. 15 Wolverines in a 27-9 drubbing to cap an ideal common season. Maybe much more satisfying for the Buckeyes is that the win ended Michigan’s hopes of crashing the CFP occasion.
The Wolverines threw the primary couple of punches with a pair of early subject targets. However the nation’s No. 1 whole protection and No. 1 scoring protection shortly started displaying its tooth. Ohio State held Michigan to only 163 whole yards, which was 125 under its earlier season low. The Buckeyes’ offense did its half, too. A soul-sucking 12-minute drive spanning the tip of the third quarter and almost half of the fourth solely resulted in a subject objective for Ohio State. But it surely successfully ended any hope Michigan had of extending its profitable streak within the collection to 5.
Winner: Isaiah Horton has a profession day
Alabama introduced in former Miami receiver Isaiah Horton from the portal to function a secondary risk behind Germie Bernard and Ryan Williams. However in an exciting 27-20 Iron Bowl win at Auburn, the redshirt junior turned the unit’s lead playmaker. His three landing receptions marked a profession excessive and helped stabilize a struggling Crimson Tide passing assault. The lasting picture from the sport might be his go-ahead rating with 3:50 remaining, however his toe-tapping seize behind the tip zone through the first quarter was even higher.
Loser: LSU squanders a spoiler alternative
LSU may have ruined Oklahoma’s season and delighted all of the groups under the Sooners within the CFP hierarchy. The Tigers may have offered their followers with a joyful distraction from the nerve-racking monotony of Lane Kiffin watch. They may have ended a irritating common season in scintillating style.
As an alternative, LSU squandered a teed up alternative to shake up the nationwide panorama by giving freely a 17-13 win to the No. 8 Sooners. A distressing day of missed alternatives started simply over three minutes in when quarterback Michael Van Buren handed up a transparent alternative to run for a landing on first-and-goal. As an alternative, he threw throughout his physique into site visitors and was intercepted. It was emblematic of the offensive ineptitude which plagued the Tigers all day. Their protection held OU’s equally listless offense in verify for many of the day till lastly breaking late with a pair of dreadfully defended landing passes from OU’s John Mateer.
Loser: Chaos engulfs ACC
Probably the most hilarious ridiculous potential final result from the bevy of ACC tiebreaker situations got here to fruition, as Saturday’s outcomes paved the best way for 7-5 Duke to succeed in subsequent week’s ACC Championship Sport. The Blue Devils dealt with their enterprise with a 49-32 win over Wake Forest after which benefitted from Cal’s 38-35 win over No. 21 SMU. The Blue Devils completed 1-3 in non convention play with a blowout loss to Illinois and losses to non-Energy 4 foes Tulane and UConn. However with a 6-2 league file and tiebreakers on its facet, Duke is heading to Charlotte with its probabilities of a CFP look nonetheless alive.
Winner: Miami retains cruising
No. 12 Miami closed the common season with a fourth straight blowout win over ACC competitors by thrashing No. 22 Pitt 38-7 on the highway. The Hurricanes fell behind 7-3 early however dominated from there to complete at 10-2 (6-2 ACC) for a second consecutive season. The ‘Canes will not be within the ACC title sport after dropping to each Louisville and SMU earlier within the season, however they’re unequivocally trying just like the league’s finest workforce as December arrives.
A season that started with receivers Malachi Toney and CJ Daniels balling out in a win over Notre Dame ended with the duo shining as soon as once more. Toney tallied 13 grabs for 126 yards and a landing whereas Daniels put the ending touches on Saturday’s huge win with this ridiculous seize within the closing minute. However except there’s an unlikely shakeup within the rankings, it doubtless will not be sufficient to get Miami within the at-large image.
Loser: Tennessee hosts Vanderbilt’s grand celebration
Neyland Stadium become a staging grounds for No. 14 Vanderbilt to rejoice its first-ever 10-win season, because the Commodores thrashed No. 19 Tennessee 45-24. Star quarterback Diego Pavia could have booked his journey to New York Metropolis for the Heisman Trophy ceremony as he recovered from two first-half interceptions to surgically dissect a listless Volunteers protection with 383 whole yards.
Regardless of their standing as a 10-2 SEC workforce, the Commodores face powerful odds to succeed in the School Soccer Playoff. However even when they’re disadvantaged of an opportunity to play for the nationwide championship, the Commodores will all the time relish the state championship they secured Saturday. The primary-ever ranked assembly between the in-state rivals marked Vanderbilt’s first win within the collection since 2018 and capped this system’s most profitable common season in a century. Tennessee followers have made a behavior over the many years of turning Nashville orange throughout their November assembly. However by sport’s finish in 2025, the ‘Dores had turned an emptying Neyland Stadium black and gold.
Clemson security Ricardo Jones capped a giant common season with two large interceptions in Clemson’s 28-14 win over rival South Carolina. The sophomore star’s first decide got here ultimately zone late within the third quarter simply because the Gamecocks had been driving for a possible go-ahead landing. His second was a game-clinching pick-6 off a ricochet. The pair of picks introduced Jones’ season tally to an ACC-best six and highlighted a stingy second-half efficiency by the Tigers’ protection. South Carolina reached Clemson territory 4 occasions within the second half however by no means scored.
Loser: Colorado reaches a crossroads
These ready for Deion Sanders to throw within the towel on his Colorado tenure following a 3-9 season could wish to watch his postgame press convention from Saturday’s season-ending 24-14 loss at Kansas State. Sanders did not sound like a coach prepared to hold it up after an adversity-filled season.
“This fan base, this faculty, (athletic director) Rick (George), all people deserves significantly better than this,” Sanders stated. “They anticipated significantly better than this. I anticipated significantly better than this. We will give them significantly better than this, beginning tomorrow.”
Sanders stated he is “already evaluated” this system and is planning modifications.
“I see every thing being completely different, even me,” Sanders stated.
Winner: Massive 12’s finest deal with enterprise
No. 5 Texas Tech and No. 11 BYU are heading into subsequent week’s Massive 12 Championship Sport on robust footing after avoiding potential pitfalls. The Cougars fell behind visiting UCF 14-0 earlier than rallying for a convincing 41-21 win behind a pristine efficiency from Bear Bachmeier. The freshman QB accomplished 13 passes in a row over the second and third quarters as BYU seized management.
There was no drama by any means for the No. 5 Purple Raiders, who dominated West Virginia from begin to end in a 49-0 win. Whereas No. 13 Utah faces lengthy shot odds of reaching the CFP as an at-large workforce, the Utes rounded out a powerful closing weekend for the Massive 12’s finest groups by beating Kansas 31-21 on Friday. All in all, it was a powerful weekend for the contending class of a convention that handed the ACC within the Energy 4 hierarchy this season.
Loser: Kentucky appears to be like caught with Stoops
If Kentucky had crushed Louisville and recovered from a 2-5 begin with victories in 4 of its previous 5 video games, then maybe retaining veteran coach Mark Stoops would have been extra palatable for a rising faction of UK followers looking for change. However after a 41-0 shellacking by the hands of the rival Cardinals, Kentucky is in a brutal state of affairs. The Wildcats (5-7) had been outscored 86-17 over their closing two video games and can miss a bowl for the second straight season.
Fireplace Stoops, proper? Properly, it isn’t that straightforward. The Thirteenth-year coach could be owed his full $38 million buyout inside 60 days, which means Kentucky must pay one of many largest buyout figures in faculty soccer historical past with no hopes of an offset from his potential future job. And when you’re ready for Stoops to stroll away on his personal accord or to barter his buyout right down to a extra manageable determine, you may be ready some time.
“Zero means zero,” Stoops stated. “Zero p.c likelihood I’ll. I’ll be right here so far as I am involved. Now, I am unable to management what selections which might be made. However when you’re asking me, I stated zero. Zero means zero.”
Loser: Florida State denied bowl eligibility
Promoting a controversial choice to retain coach Mike Norvell would have been simpler for Florida State if it had capped the common season with a win at rival Florida to safe bowl eligibility. As an alternative, the Seminoles had been left to lick their many wounds following a listless 40-21 loss to the Gators. The end result dropped FSU to 5-7, making certain it can miss a bowl for the fourth time in six seasons beneath Norvell. Exterior of the 2022 and 2023 seasons when Florida State went a sterling 23-4, Norvell is 15-30. The highs of 2023 had been spectacularly excessive, however they’re starting to pale compared to the various lows a once-proud program has skilled beneath Norvell’s path.
Winner: Terry Smith rests his case
Penn State accomplished a late-season rally to succeed in bowl eligibility beneath interim coach Terry Smith by outlasting Rutgers 40-36. Precisely how the Nittany Lions’ teaching search will end stays a thriller, however Smith made a compelling case to win the full-time job. The 56-year outdated former Penn State receiver and longtime cornerbacks coach stored the Nittany Lions engaged after a 3-6 begin that included 5 gut-wrenching losses by six factors or much less. Saturday’s win over the Scarlet Knights was no defensive clinic, but it surely showcased the resolve Penn State discovered beneath Smith.
Oregon receiver Jeremiah McClellan almost made a sensational catch on the primary play of the fourth quarter within the No. 6 Geese’ 26-14 win over Washington. McClellan cradled the soccer in opposition to his helmet as he went to the turf. It was dominated an incompletion on the sphere, and the decision was upheld upon assessment. It wound up as a consequential ruling, because the Geese had been pressured to punt. Washington scored on its subsequent drive to drag inside 19-14 and inject some drama into the rivalry showdown. You be the decide: catch or no catch?
Winner: Miami (Ohio) secures its spot
Miami (Ohio) is headed to the MAC Championship Sport for a 3rd straight season after beating Ball State 45-24 to succeed in 7-5 (6-2 MAC). Thomas Gotkowski threw three touchdowns for the Redhawks, who personal a tiebreaker over fellow 6-2 groups Ohio and Toledo. They are going to face Western Michigan, which secured the league’s common season title on Tuesday evening with a 31-21 win over Jap Michigan. The Broncos (8-4, 7-1) might be making their first convention title sport look since 2016. However hoisting the trophy would require getting revenge on a Miami workforce that gained the common season assembly 26-17.
Jacksonville State secured its spot within the Convention USA Championship Sport by rallying from a 14-point deficit to beat Western Kentucky 37-34 on a 28-yard subject objective from Garrison Rippa as time expired. WKU would have gone to the title sport with a win, and the Hilltoppers seized management with three straight landing drives to start the sport. However the Gamecocks responded with a relentless speeding assault as quarterback Caden Creel and operating again Cam Prepare dinner every surpassed 135 yards on the bottom.
Jax State will host Kennesaw State within the title sport. It will likely be a matchup between first-year coaches Charles Kelly (Jacksonville State) and Jerry Mack (Kennesaw State).
